Colorado

Make
Chevrolet
Segment
Sports Car

The semiconductor chip shortage continues to wreak havoc across the automotive industry. For high-volume automakers like General Motors, this has led to thousands of incomplete vehicles standing in huge lots waiting for the chips they need before they can be transported to dealerships. The cumulative effect of production stoppages has now affected the Chevrolet Colorado. According to GM Authority, inventory of the midsize pickup has dramatically decreased to far below the industry average. The low supply has been caused by production shutdowns at the GM Wentzville plant in Missouri.

In the US auto industry, a 60-day supply is considered to be ideal. In the case of the Colorado, the truck is struggling with a supply of just seven days. That was the case as of the first week of September, but this picture is unlikely to have changed all that much today. Production of the 2021 Colorado has now concluded. Although production of the 2022 model was due to get underway on September 20, the chip shortage has pushed that date back by another week. Several other GM models produced at the Wentzville plant have also been impacted. These include the GMC Canyon, GMC Savana, and Chevrolet Express.

The lower inventory has already affected sales of the Colorado this year. In the second quarter of 2021, the truck was only in fifth place, behind rivals like the Toyota Tacoma and Ford Ranger. Ordinarily, the Colorado usually places second or third in its segment so the decline is notable. In the second quarter, the Colorado was the only truck in its class to post a decline in sales relative to the same quarter a year ago. By contrast, the Tacoma's sales shot up by 43% and the Ranger's sales increased by 37%. With the 2022 Colorado now offering appealing updates like a rugged Trail Boss package, GM will be hoping to somehow turn a dire situation around sooner rather than later.